1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a carrier for supporting a carcass part of slaughtered poultry, a system for processing slaughtered poultry wherein such a carrier is used and a method for arranging a carcass part of slaughtered poultry onto a carrier.
2. Description of Background Art
In automated poultry processing plants, carcass parts of slaughtered poultry are arranged on dedicated carriers, each carrier supporting a carcass part during the processing and/or during transport form one processing station to the next.
It is known to use carriers that have a shape that is adapted to the shape of the carcass part to be carried by the carrier. For example, EP1123006 discloses such a carrier.
This known carrier engages the inside of the carcass part to be processed. The known carrier comprises a carrier body which has a shape that generally matches the shape of the inside of the carcass part. The corpus sterni of the sternum lies on this carrier body. The carrier further comprises a hook that engages the carcass part in the area of the wishbone once the carcass part is arranged on the carrier. The hook pushes the carcass part against the carrier body and holds it in place.
A problem related to this kind of carrier is that the carcass part has to be arranged quite accurately on the carrier body, in such a way that the corpus sterni indeed lies on the bump of the carrier body. This accurate positioning has to be done by the person or the device that places the carcass parts onto the carriers, but it often has to be done at high speed. Once the carcass part is placed onto the carrier, in either the right position relative to the carrier or not, the carcass part is clamped onto the carrier by the hook without further adjustments being made.
The object of the invention is to provide a carrier that is at least an alternative to known carriers.
This object is achieved by a carrier for supporting a carcass part of slaughtered poultry,
which carcass part comprises an inner face and an outer face,
which carcass part further comprises at least a part of the corpus sterni of the sternum, the corpus sterni comprising at least a part of the facies visceralis sterni, and at least a part of the facies muscularis sterni,
the inner face being on the same side of the sternum as the facies visceralis sterni and the outer face being on the same side of the sternum as the facies muscularis sterni,
the carrier comprising:                a carrier body, said carrier body comprising a support surface for engaging at least a part of the inner face of the carcass part,        a hook for holding the carcass part on the carrier body,        a positioning element for positioning the carcass part relative to the carrier, which positioning element has a dome shaped engagement end for engaging the inner face of the carcass part,        
which positioning element is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position in which extended position the dome shaped engagement end of the positioning element protrudes from the support surface of the carrier body,
the positioning element being arranged such relative to the support surface of the carrier body that in its extended position, the dome shaped engagement end of the positioning element engages the inner face of the carcass part at or adjacent to the facies visceralis sterni of the sternum in the region between the left and right margo costalis of the sternum.